INDIANAPOLIS—Tight ends at this year’s combine love how the NFL game is trending.

More teams utilizing two tight end formations. Tight ends stretching the field and becoming breakout stars such as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez of the Patriots, or Jimmy Graham of the Saints, or Jermichael Finley of the Packers.

Stanford tight end Cody Fleener is one of many incoming tight ends who love where the NFL game is trending. (AP Photo)

A handful of tight ends in this year’s draft have a chance to make an instant splash, including Dwayne Allen of Clemson, Orson Charles of Georgia, Coby Fleener of Stanford, Ladarius Green of Lousiana-Lafayette and Deangelo Peterson of LSU. According to several scouts, a strong combine could lift any of them into the high second round, if not the late first round.

There’s no clear favorite among the tight ends to be the first one taken. And that makes the combine important for all of them.

Charles (6-3, 241 pounds) is not the physical specimen that Gronkowski is, but Charles excels at getting downfield in the passing game.

"I think I can win most one-on-one battles against linebackers and stretch the field,’’ Charles said. "It really doesn’t matter to me if I’m the first tight end taken or not. I just want to play. I feel I can do the things Hernandez and Gronkowski do.

"I haven’t heard anything about where I’ll be drafted. I’m just going to do the drills on Saturday and leave it in God’s hands. But I want teams to know that I can block. I love to block. I’m not just a guy who can catch passes all day.’’

Fleener will not run at the combine due to an ankle injury, but he plans to run at Stanford’s pro day on March 22. He has played in a pro style offense at Stanford, catching passes from the Andrew Luck, the favorite to be the top pick in the draft.

"Some of the throws he made were unbelievable,’’ Fleener said of Luck. "It happened almost on a daily basis in practice. I’m proud of what all of us were able to accomplish at Stanford when we were there.’’

A tight end that can cause matchup problems for linebackers and safeties has become an important commodity in the NFL. A few more are likely to be found in this draft.